Author: Eric

Pivot point for this idea

Melkote

…or Melukote, or Narayanadri, or Vedadri, or Yadavadri, or Yathishaila, or Thirunarayanapuram. We were guided to this small town north of Mysore and west of Bangalore by friends who had visited many times in the past to support the work of the Janapada Seva Trust. Part of the Trust’s work involves organic agriculture, and I wanted to learn what that was like for them in a very different environment (not to mention the different crops) than Maine. In addition, Alison and I always enjoy visiting out-of-the-way areas when we travel to try to get a better feeling on what “normal life” looks like. Melkote, although beautiful in many ways and full of ancient wonders and important institutions, does not get the daily visits from tourists that a city like Mysore does. It does host a significant festival (Vairamudi) once a year attracting many people (hundreds of thousands according to Wikipedia), but perhaps primarily Indian and religious. Our hosts told us that Melkote attracted the odd backpacker every so often but that white visitors were still unusual.
Continue reading “Melkote” →

Onward India

Many apologies for our silence post-Bangalore. We *had* some Internet access in some of our lodging, but it was never in our room, and it was often balky and temporary. Sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the evening, sometimes not at all. Therefore we focused on our email during the brief periods on-line, but were unable to generate posts.

The meat of our trip to India took place after Bangalore as well, which makes the silence especially frustrating because there is so much we want to share, and will in the coming days and weeks now that we have arrived home to solid Internet AND electric power (we thought our power in rural Maine was irregular, but it’s nothing compared to multiple brown-outs and black-outs EVERY DAY we experienced outside of Bangalore…)

In the meantime I can at least share our post-Bangalore itinerary:

  • Melkote, Mandya district, Karnataka state: we were hosted by the Japanada Seva Trust where we learned about their work.
  • Coonoor, Tamil Nuda state: we stayed at Acres Wild Organic Farmstay: a cheese dairy perched on the southern slopes of the Nilgiri Hills surrounded by tea plantations.
  • Coorg, Kodagu district, Karnataka state: we stayed in the bosom of the Tata Industrial Empire, Plantation Trails, amid a working coffee and spice plantation with a real Colonial spirit.

Our touring after Melkote was organized by an Indian travel company that specializes in culinary tours. They were recommended by the culinary tour company we used in China which provided us with a fabulous experience in Chengdu.

Details and pictures (I’m currently sorting through 895 pictures and videos) to come!

The sounds and fragrances of southern India

Eric is walking in the hills of Conoor in southern India. We stayed at “Acres Wild Farm” to learn about their cheese-making and cow dairy. On adjacent hillsides, tea plants are growing on terraced fields. We awoke to the sounds of (loudly broadcast) percussive singing from the local temple.

Eric walking to breakfast in the hills above Conooor, Tamil Nadu province in southern India

And I made a new friend…

Alison and "Spahti" the farm dog

Spahti, the farm dog of Tamil Nadu.

Taken For A Ride

*white* knuckle bus ride to Logan
A Literal WHITE Knuckle Ride From Portland to Logan Airport Monday En Route To The Tropics

Yes, I *know* that it’s SO annoying to hear that Eric and Alison are traveling to some exotic location to learn about exotic food. Again. That said, most of you have heard that Alison was selected as an artist in the US State Dept. Arts Envoy Program and sent to Doha, Qatar to spend a week teaching painting. THAT will have to be the subject of another possible set of posts by Alison — I’ve seen only the photos she’s been emailing around, and occasional TXTs checking-in. Her trip brought her within an easy flight of India, which triggered my suggestion to finally have a look at The Jewel.

On Thursday Alison will leave Doha on a direct flight to Bengaluru/Bangalore (local/English names which appear here interchangeably (admittedly I’ve stuck to the western friendly areas so far) but I will call it Bangalore from now on) to join me on yet another food adventure. We will spring-board from this new MegaTechCity to the West through Karnataka toward the intersection with Kerala and Tamil Nadu states at the paint drip end of the Indian sub-continent.

I have just arrived after quite an incredible journey (from the perspective of how a modern system of amazing logistics in the era of terrorists targeting travelers operates more or less efficiently) from Boston through London Heathrow’s Terminal 5 Habitrail then on through the night to land in Bangalore where my fun “Welcome To India” story begins…
Continue reading “Taken For A Ride” →

Maine Hops by Eric

Eric planted hops at the new house in Maine.
The hops vine climbs up two thin wires as an ornamental screen in front of our windows.
The hops are perennial plants, so they’ll be back with vigor next year.
Here’s what they look like in September.

Wendell and Carol and Eric visit Carol and Marcus and Brian June 2015

They drove from Las Vegas to Reno after their “Germany Reunion” in Las Vegas. That occurs every three years with more than 200 folks attending. Who knew? I thought it was like 20 or so of the people they worked with at their school in Wurzburg. No. It’s everybody ever at that school, students and faculty alike.

Never mind, it gets them on their way here. Driving on Sunday they arrived a bit after 4:30 — good time and set about chatting us up as we waited for Eric to pick up Brian from the airport, returning from Kyiv. Brian’s plane due to leave Seattle (from Kyiv via Amsterdam) but delayed. So we had a chance to sit on the back terrace and catch up on the past many years… EZ… who changes.

So… B and E arrived, I threw lamb chops on the Big Green Egg, we opened a few bottles of wine and commenced the evening. Rosemary potatoes accompanied the chops, along with two versions of Eric’s Gazpacho. YUM.

Monday, after breakfasting and chilling, we set off on a tour over Somersett Parkway to McCarran Boulevard and down past and to the University of Nevada campus. We parked and walked around the Green, noted the Excellent mining engineering buildings forming  the green; eased down through town to point out how UNR will ultimately connect with the downtown and arrived early for our reservation at Campo for lunch. Eric joined us.

After, Eric returned to Sparks and we continued touring with Reno Provisions and RENO ENVY where we treated W&C with happy anniversary tee shirts. We drove through Midtown and down South Virginia pointing out the worthy sites.The Peppermill is undergoing extensive remodeling and thrusting forth a new face. Wonder what it will be?

We joined West McCarran and drove around its hilly grandeur to reach I-80 and our way home. It seems like a very short encounter, but we experienced a lot of Reno and unless we ventured to Lake Tahoe or Pyramid Lake or all those other places outside Reno, we’ve had a good visit and it’s nearly time to go to the Aces game.

It was a cloudy, balmy evening at the Ballpark, and not only that, but Dollar Hot Dog Night and Dollar Ribs Night. Who could ask for more. Eric and Brian got seats in our section — and eventually in our row — and we settled back to enjoy the game. It was a pretty good game and ended up 7-2, aces winning before 4,080 lucky fans.

After the ardous effort of posing with us, Archie and the girls chilled out between innings.

the two old guys kept score…
and it was — all in all — a fine evening at the ballpark.